Unpaid multimedia services are the most common source of debt among Poles, affecting 26 percent of all debtors, according to data from ERIF BIG. Poles have problems paying telecommunications and multimedia services on time, as well as instalments for multimedia equipment, subscriptions and digital television. After the first three quarters of 2024, the number of unpaid obligations of this type reached as many as 758,000. Their value amounted to PLN 2.033 billion—nearly 7 percent of all domestic consumer receivables. The largest numbers of indebted people live in the Silesian, Masovian and Lower Silesian Voivodeships.
– This year, the percentage of debtors who do not pay for multimedia services on time increased once again. It is now more than one quarter of all indebted people. Just four years ago, in the third quarter of 2020, they accounted for 20 percent. The pandemic period, associated with an economic slowdown and more time spent at home, motivated some consumers to pay regularly for multimedia services. However, since 2023, more people have again been late repaying debts incurred for this reason. Our data show that the current number of unpaid obligations has returned to, and even exceeded, the pre-pandemic level, says Katarzyna Skrzypczyńska, an expert at ERIF BIG SA.
Will Poles have television during the holidays?
Failure to pay for services results in them being “cut off.” Many indebted people want to avoid this, especially during days off work. This may encourage them to repay multimedia debts just before the holiday period. – Television and the internet are sources of entertainment that many people
use more often than usual around the holidays. This provides temporary motivation to repay debt, and every step towards repaying debts is good and should be appreciated. There is no doubt, however, that Polish consumers lack awareness of the risks resulting from unpaid dues. Disconnection of the TV signal is the least of the problems. Being entered into the database of a credit information bureau (BIG) may prove much more troublesome, warns Katarzyna Skrzypczyńska.
What are the consequences for debtors?
Being entered in the BIG complicates financial life because it closes access to a range of services, such as instalment purchases and the highly popular Buy Now Pay Later services, which accounted for as much as 73 percent of all Polish obligations last year (data: CRIF). A mobile network operator, internet provider or television provider may enter a debtor in the BIG if the debtor is at least 30 days late paying at least PLN 200. If this happens, the best solution is to settle the debt as quickly as possible.
– It is worth regularly checking information about yourself in the BIG, especially if you are planning to take out a loan or make an instalment purchase. Many people end up on the debtors’ list through inattention: they pay their bills on time every day, but in the rush of daily life they forgot to pay, for example, their phone or internet bills. Every Pole can download a free report about themselves once every six months. This is also an excellent source of information if we have many debts, payment demands and contacts with creditors. In such a situation, clear information helps organise our knowledge of our own debt, which is the first step towards preparing a repayment plan and overcoming financial problems—or even avoiding exclusion from the financial services market, explains Katarzyna Skrzypczyńska.
An entry in a credit information bureau should be removed by the creditor within 14 days of receiving repayment of the debt. It is worth knowing this when planning further financial steps, even small ones such as signing a television subscription contract.